Read Think Pray is a daily reflection on the Revised Common Lectionary Readings for the previous Sunday. The idea is simply to get you - reading, thinking and praying about the scriptures you heard at your Sunday Service.

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Read Matthew 3:1-12

Thursday

Read Matthew 3:1-12

At that time John the Baptist came to the
desert of Judea and started preaching. 2“Turn away from your sins,”
he said, “because the Kingdom of heaven is near!” 3John was the man
the prophet Isaiah was talking about when he said:

“Someone is shouting in the desert,

‘Prepare a road for the Lord;

make a straight path for him to travel!’ ”

4 John’s clothes were made of
camel’s hair; he wore a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts
and wild honey. 5People came to him from Jerusalem, from the whole
province of Judea, and from all the country near the River Jordan. 6They
confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan.

7 When John saw many Pharisees and
Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You snakes—who told
you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? 8Do
those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. 9And
don’t think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor.
I tell you that God can take these stones and make descendants for Abraham! 10The
axe is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear
good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire. 11I baptize you
with water to show that you have repented, but the one who will come after me will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He is much greater than I am; and I
am not good enough even to carry his sandals. 12He has his winnowing
shovel with him to thresh out all the grain. He will gather his wheat into his
barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”

Think

Bear fruit worthy of repentance.'

'God is able from theses stones to raise up children to Abraham.'

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.For trees to bear appropriate fruit is to act like the father (seed)
that gave them life.

Pray

Lord - take up my heart of stone - and fashion it into a 'child of
Abraham', a child of you.Today - help
me to identify the sharp bits: